Textiles
Lenzing
The Lenzing Group appointed Florian Heubrandner as vice president of global business management for textiles.
Heubrandner will lead Lenzing’s global strategy and development across the textile value chain, focusing on the company’s transformation from a B2B fiber producer to a business-to-business-to-consumer brand following the rejuvenation of Tencel as its textile specialty brand earlier this year and the launch of Lenzing Ecovero, its sustainable viscose brand, last year.
He replaces Amit Gautam, who will start a new venture and work closely with Lenzing in the textile value chain.
Brands
Calvin Klein Inc. and Raf Simons announced that Simons was leaving his position as the brand’s chief creative officer.
Both parties have amicably decided to part ways after Calvin Klein, Inc. decided on a new brand direction that differs from Simons’s creative vision. Calvin Klein will not show during New York Fashion Week in February. No successor has been named.
Simons’s departure comes eight months before the end of his two-year contract with the brand, and parent company PVH Corp. missed its sales projections for the third quarter, saying it was “disappointed” in the Calvin Klein 205 W39 NYC business and poor sell-through on the Calvin Klein Jeans relaunch earlier this month.
Simons joined Calvin Klein in 2016, following a three-year run as creative director for Dior. As chief creative officer, Simons was charged with leading the creative strategy for the Calvin Klein brand globally, including Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein Platinum, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, Calvin Klein Underwear and Calvin Klein Home brands. Simons also managed all aspects of design, global marketing and communications, and visual creative services.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America named Simons women’s wear designer of the year in 2017 and 2018 and men’s wear designer of the year in 2017 for his work at Calvin Klein.
Burberry
Burberry appointed Rod Manley as chief marketing officer, effective Jan. 1.
Manley joins London-based Burberry from Calvin Klein in New York, where he was executive vice president of influence marketing and communications. He previously has held senior positions at Giorgio Armani and also worked at creative services and media relations firm KCD.
In his new role, Manley will lead all marketing, communications and creative media teams from London. He will report to Marco Gobbetti, CEO of Burberry Group.